PALMER - David L. Hale refuses to give up his quest to return Palmer's government to town meetings and selectmen, and announced this week that he is initiating another petition drive to get a charter review question on the ballot for the June election.

"There are people who think I'm crazy for doing this," Hale said.

Hale, along with Iris L. and Daniel Cardin, collected enough signatures to get a charter question to review the government on the ballot in 2008, and while voters supported a review, the form of government remained unchanged.

This time around, Hale is working without the Cardins, but believes that the process of collecting signatures will be quicker than before, as residents "are yearning to go back to town meetings."

He said he was encouraged by the non-binding referendum in June which showed residents' support for town meetings, with 410 voting in favor of them, 222 against, and 158 leaving the question blank. That compared to 251 votes for the town manager-council, 365 votes against it, and 74 blanks.

Hale said he was told by the town clerk's office that he needs to gather approximately 1,600 signatures for the petition. He may hold scheduled signings, or go door-to-door. He said he is upset that the Town Council is continuing to govern "as if nothing happened in June" and called it "arrogant."

If the charter review question were to pass, a Charter Commission also would be elected and would conduct the review. Hale, who ran unsuccessfully for Charter Commission the last time, said he plans to run again.

Iris Cardin said she is too busy serving as co-president of Quaboag Valley Against Casinos to invest her time in another petition drive, even though she supports a return to the past.

Cardin also wants to see if the Town Council revises the tag sale ordinance, which limits the number of tag sales residents can hold to six times a year and requires a permit from the town manager's office. So far, no changes have been made to tag sales.

It was the displeasure over the tag sale ordinance, adopted in 2006, that prompted Hale and the Cardins to launch the petition drive. Hale called it "socialism" at the time.

Meanwhile, former Charter Commission member Raymond P. Domey is helping Hale with the latest charter review effort. Domey said he also supports town meetings and selectmen.

"It took two votes to enact the charter. I guess it will take a couple of petition drives to remove it," Domey said. "The system may have worked elsewhere, but it's not working here. We've probably been without a town manager more than we've been with a town manager."

Town Council President Paul E. Burns, a supporter of the current form of government and former Charter Commission president, said Hale can do another petition drive, but he doesn't expect anything will change.

"Once you seat a Charter Commission, I'm sure you'll get the same results," Burns said.